Legislature votes against putting U.S. beef imports on agenda

2012/04/27 13:50:24

Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) The Legislature voted narrowly against an impromptu motion to put the U.S. beef import issue on the agenda Friday, following the discovery of a new case of mad cow disease in the United States earlier this week.

Before Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng cast a deciding nay vote, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition camps had voted 44-44 on a proposal to discuss a possible ban on American beef products.

The motion was raised by opposition party legislators from the Democratic Progressive Party, Taiwan Solidarity Union and People First Party in light of a new confirmed case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in central California.